We spent a couple of hours out at The Monkey Hut on Lake Apoyo in the Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. The lake itself is 200 meters deep. That’s roughly 650 FEET DEEP. Yes, terrifying. Luckily the surrounding beach successfully distracts from the mind numbing fear of gigantic prehistoric creatures lurking 650 feet beneath the water with relaxation, food, and beauty.
We specifically visited The Monkey Hut. Entrance is $6 per person, which you actually pay when you leave, not when you enter. Upon entrance you are given a card. You present the card at various vendors within the resort to buy food, beer, etc. The vendor indicates on the card what you purchased. If you can manage to reign in your fear of the depths you can swim, kayak, or float in an inner tube. When you want to leave you present the card to the receptionist and he or she tallies up your total including the entrance fee. We purchased nothing once inside since we’d already eaten and had bottled water with us, and they waived Levi’s fee, so we got in and out of there for $12 USD.
Great, but how do I get there?!
Surely, there are many tour agencies in Granada where you can book a private transport out to The Monkey Hut and several other places around Laguna de Apoyo. But if you prefer a more pain-in-the-ass, adventuresome experience like we do, then you can do this:
Go to the bus terminal in Granada. Jump on a Managua-bound bus. Tell the driver you’d like to be dropped off at the entrance to Laguna de Apoyo (“Entrada Laguna de Apoyo, por favor.” or something like that). On an express bus this should only cost you about 10 cordobas per person (~$0.37 USD!) Probably less on a chicken bus.
In about 15-20 minutes you’ll get dropped off on the side of the highway. Walk across the highway to the road leading into Laguna de Apoyo. Here there will be a few taxis waiting, one of which can take you to The Monkey Hut for about 150 cordobas (~$6.00 USD) sometimes less…depends on the driver. Once you are dropped off, the taxi driver will likely give you his cell phone number so you can call him to pick you up when you want to leave, but this usually isn’t necessary because there are always taxis waiting outside The Monkey Hut when you are ready to leave.
Once you’re back down at the highway just wait for a bus heading toward Granada to come along and flag it down. Squeeze in with the roughly 300 other people that are on it, and ride back for another 10 cordobas per person. Easy!
Here’s some more picks from our little excursion:
1 Comment
Todd
I think you should have been more worried that they wouldn’t let you out of the hut.